Control of vehicle side slip using yaw rate

ABSTRACT

A required yaw rate value is determined based on driver inputs such as steering angle, master cylinder pressure, and throttle butterfly angle. The required yaw rate is compared to a measured actual yaw rate value and the actual yaw moment acceleration is influenced based on the comparison.

PRIOR ART

The invention relates to a method of controlling vehicle stability by determining a required yaw velocity ω_(so11) based on a steady state required yaw rate ω_(so110). A method for determining ω_(so110) is disclosed in DE 42 29 504, to which U.S. Ser. No. 08/090,837 corresponds. The subject matter of the latter is based on DE 37 31 756, to which U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,300 corresponds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The wish of the driver for a change of direction, as well as that for vehicle acceleration or deceleration, is taken into account and weighted. The required value is calculated in such a way that the vehicle reacts rapidly to steering angle changes and then maintains a stable condition which depends on the adhesion coefficient of the road and in which the sideslip angle does not increase further.

The following advantages are achieved by the invention and by the further developments in accordance with the preferred embodiments:

The driver's wish is taken into account in the distribution, of the total available tire force, between longitudinal force and transverse force using v_(F), δ, P_(vor), F_(ges) ;

Calculation of a limit, to ensure vehicle stability, for the required yaw rate with a_(Q) and v_(F) ;

Filtering the required yaw rate value for matching to the vehicle's intrinsic dynamics of motion or to change in the vehicle dynamics of motion;

Supporting the incidence motion of the vehicle when the steering angle is increased in order to build up side force more rapidly.

In systems for controlling the dynamics of vehicle motion in order to improve the controllability of the vehicle, it is necessary to fix the parameters to be controlled and then to determine suitable required values for these parameters.

If the vehicle motion is considered in one plane (roadway) and not in three dimensions, the vehicle then has three degrees of freedom, namely longitudinal velocity and transverse velocity and the rotational velocity about the vertical axis (yaw rate). The yaw rate has been found to be a particularly suitable control parameter because it can be measured directly by means of sensors and can be effectively controlled by changing the wheel slip values or the slip angle and, therefore, by the application of yaw moments. The transverse velocity of the vehicle cannot be measured accurately. It can, however, be estimated by a control algorithm (observer) when the yaw rate is known.

The following computational operations are carried out to calculate the required yaw rate value ω_(so11) :

A steady-state required yaw rate, which depends on the steering angle δ and on the vehicle longitudinal velocity v_(F), is calculated first. ##EQU1##

In this, v_(ch) is the characteristic vehicle speed with which the amount of the understeer tendency can be fixed, also if need be as a function of the driving condition (driven, freely rolling, braked).

In the case of steady-state travel in a circle, a desired side force F_(S),W can now be calculated from the required steady state yaw rate:

    F.sub.S,W =m·v.sub.F ·ω.sub.so110

with the vehicle mass m

The desired longitudinal force F_(L),W can be calculated, depending on the accelerator pedal position or brake pedal position, from the measured quantities of admission (master cylinder) pressure P_(vor) or throttle butterfly angle α_(DK). In this, it is assumed that the braking wish or the drive wish corresponds to that for undisturbed straight-line travel at a high coefficient of friction.

    F.sub.L,W =f (P.sub.vor, ∝.sub.DK)

The total force desired by the driver can therefore be calculated as a vector sum. ##EQU2##

This desired force is now placed in a relationship with the maximum available force.

First Possibility

The resultant tire forces Fr_(i) at the individual wheels are known (for example, in accordance with DE 40 30 704-A1) which corresponds to U.S. Ser. No. 07/859,438. The maximum available total force can then be estimated from the sum of all the tire forces. It is achieved when all the force directions are parallel. ##EQU3##

Second Possibility

The total longitudinal force F_(L) and the total transverse force F_(Q) which act on the vehicle by means of the tires are known, for example, from knowledge of the longitudinal and transverse accelerations and vehicle mass. The total force can then be calculated as follows: ##EQU4##

The ratio of the available total force to the desired total force is, therefore: ##EQU5##

The ratio x is less than or equal to one. ##EQU6##

The required value ω_(so11) for the yaw rate is then given by the steady state required yaw rate ω_(so110) multiplied by the factor x.

    ω.sub.so11 =x·ω.sub.so110

This means that if the yaw motion desired by the driver does not exceed the available total force, this required yaw rate is then accepted as the required value for the vehicle motion dynamics control system.

If, however, the available force F_(ges) is not sufficient to achieve the desired change in motion simultaneously in the longitudinal and transverse directions, the required yaw rate ω_(so11) is then correspondingly reduced by the factor x. Should that not occur, the vehicle could start to skid as a consequence of continually increasing sideslip angle.

If, although the desired side force has to be reduced, it is relatively small in comparison with the desired longitudinal force, a reduction which takes place linearly with the factor x can lead to poor vehicle controllability. It is then better to take greater account of the desired side force, i.e. to raise the factor x.

The method described up to now for calculating the required value is particularly suitable where the tires are at saturation point, i.e., for example, in the case of full braking actions (ABS braking actions).

A further possibility for fixing the required yaw rate value, particularly where there is no wish for deceleration present, is to limit the raw steady state value ω_(so110) to a value which depends on the instantaneous vehicle transverse acceleration. For this purpose, a required value limitation ω_(B) is calculated

    ω.sub.B =a.sub.Q /v.sub.F

with the transverse acceleration a_(Q) ω_(B) is the value for the yaw rate at which, in the case of travel around a curve at constant vehicle velocity, the value of the sideslip angle is constant and, therefore, the vehicle remains stable.

In the case of a reduction in steering angles, the yaw rate ω does not take place in phase with the steering angle due to the vehicle's intrinsic dynamics of motion but with a certain delay. In order to avoid unnecessary intervention by the vehicle motion dynamics control system in such and similar situations (slalom), phase matching between the actual value ω and the required value ω_(so11) can be achieved by suitable low-pass filtering of the required yaw rate value. The filter parameters can depend on the vehicle condition, possibly supported by a model.

One example in discrete time embodiment is presented below:

    ω.sub.so11,f (k)=F ω.sub.so11 (k)+(1-F) ω.sub.so11,f (k-1)

where ω_(so11),f (k) is the filtered value at time k with filter coefficient 0<F<1

It is, however, also possible to match the vehicle's intrinsic dynamics of motion, which may be unsatisfactory, to a desired behavior by means of such filtering. This is done by the vehicle motion dynamics control system appropriately changing the yaw rate by means of appropriate actions at the wheels.

In some situations, particularly in the case of an increase in the steering angle, it can be desirable to make the vehicle reaction as rapid as possible and, furthermore, to increase the yaw rate ω above the steady-state required value ω_(so110) in order to achieve a certain vehicle incidence (float angle). This increase ω_(Anstell) in the float angle is necessary in order to set to the slip angle at the tires which is necessary for the desired side force. This can be achieved by feeding the required yaw rate ω_(so11) through a differentiating filter (DT filter) in the case of an increase in steering angle and by adding the output from this filter, with suitable amplification, to the original required value.

Example (discrete time):

    ω.sub.so11,mod (k)=ω.sub.so11 (k)+ω.sub.Anstell (k)

where

    ω.sub.Anstell.sup.k =V*(ω.sub.Anstell.sup.k-1 +ω.sub.so11.sup.k -ω.sub.so11.sup.k-1)

with weighting factor V<1

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURE

An embodiment example of the invention is represented in the form of a block circuit diagram in the drawing. Realization by means of a correspondingly programmed microprocessor is also, of course, possible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The signals from a steering angle sensor 1 and a vehicle velocity simulator 3 are supplied to a block 8 for forming ω_(so110). The constants L, V_(ch) and K are also supplied to this block 8. The ω_(so110) signal is then supplied to a limiter 12 which limits the ω_(so110) signal to the limiting value ω_(B) =a_(Q) /v_(F) formed (from Blocks 2 and 3) in a block 9. The output signal from Block 12 then passes to a low-pass filter 14 for the purpose of phase matching. Its output signal normally passes to a block 18 in which ω_(so11) is formed. If, however, the magnitude of the steering angle increases, which is determined in a block 22 (ds/dt>0), a differentiating filter 16 becomes effective and this forms an increase signal ω_(Anstell) which is superimposed on the ω_(so110) value in an adding stage 17. The factor x is required for forming ω_(so11). In order to form it, the desired longitudinal force F_(L),W is formed in a block 10 as a function of throttle α_(DR) or brake pressure P_(vor), the desired side force F_(S),W is formed in a block 11 from ω_(so110), and the desired total force F_(ges),W is formed in a block 13 from the forces F_(S),W and F_(L),W. The actual total force F_(ges) is determined in a known manner in a block 6. From the forces F_(ges) and F_(ges),W, their ratio x is then formed in a block 15 and ω_(so110) is multiplied by the ratio x in the multiplier 18. The required yaw rate value ω_(so11) obtained and the actual yaw rate value ω measured in a sensor 7 are supplied to a controller 19 which activates the brake pressure control valves 20 and 21 (only one wheel shown) in the sense of generating an additional yaw moment, in order to match the actual value ω_(so11) to the required value. 

We claim:
 1. Method for controlling stability of a vehicle exhibiting a steering angle δ, a yaw rate ω, a vehicle velocity v_(F), a throttle butterfly position, and a master cylinder pressure P_(vor), said method comprisingdetermining the steering angle δ, the yaw rate ω, and the vehicle velocity v_(F), determining a steady-state required yaw rate ω_(so110) according to ##EQU7## where k is a constant, L is the wheel base, and v_(ch) is a vehicle characteristic velocity, determining at least one of throttle butterfly position α_(DK) and master cylinder pressure P_(vor), determining a desired longitudinal force F_(L),W as a function of at least one of α_(DK) and P_(vor), determining a desired side force according to F_(S),W =mv_(F) ω_(so110) where m is the vehicle mass, determining the total force desired by the driver according to

    F.sub.ges,W =√F.sub.S,W.sup.2 +F.sub.L,W.sup.2,

determining the total available force F_(ges) between tires and road, determining a factor x=F_(ges) /F_(ges),W, where x≦1, determining a required yaw rate ω_(so11) according to ω_(so11) =xω_(so110), and varying brake pressure at the wheels so that ω=ω_(so11).
 2. Method as in claim 1 wherein F_(ges) is determined by determining and adding tire forces at the individual wheels.
 3. Method as in claim 1 wherein F_(ges) is determined by determining the total longitudinal force F_(L) and the total transverse force F_(Q), and by the relation F_(ges) =F_(L) ² +F_(Q) ².
 4. Method as in claim 3 wherein F_(L) and F_(Q) are determined by determining the total longitudinal acceleration a_(L) and the total transverse acceleration a_(Q), and by the relations F_(L) =ma_(L) and F_(Q) =ma_(Q), where m is the vehicle mass.
 5. Method as in claim 1 wherein ω_(so11) is reduced when the available forces are not sufficient for the desired change in motion.
 6. Method as in claim 5 wherein the factor x increases when F_(S),W decreases and the ratio F_(Q) /F_(L) falls below a specified value.
 7. Method as in claim 1 wherein a transverse vehicle acceleration a_(Q) is determined and ω_(so110) is limited to ω_(B), where ω_(B) =a_(Q) /v_(F).
 8. Method as in claim 1 wherein ω_(so11) is subjected to low pass filtering so that ω and ω_(so11) are phase matched.
 9. Method as in claim 1 further comprisingdetermining when the steering angle δ is increasing, feeding the signal ω_(so11) through a differentiating filter to produce an increase signal ω_(Ansell), forming a filtered value ω_(so11),mod according to ω_(so11),mod =ω_(so11) +ω_(Anstell), and substituting ω_(so11),mod for ω_(so11) in order to vary the brake pressure. 